Freedom to Love
by KonekoYoukai
Summary: Formerly Koibito Nigasu. In a bizarre alternate version of Nippon, Poncles have taken over. Ushiwaka, a slave of unknown origins, leads an underground rebellion that seeks freedom...at any cost. Isshaku, Ushiwaka's master, lover, and prince of Nippon is caught in the middle. Slave AU, young!IsshakuxUshiwaka; rated for sexuality and some profanity
1. Chapter 1

Please R&R people! I'd come up with something witty and beg for a review, but all the good ideas are already taken...

(note on locations: I am still searching for the Japanese equivalent for some of these areas and terms; for now, simply keep in mind that they are in a palace and not a castle)

Ushiwaka's POV

An important guest was here today, some emperor from a neighboring country. This meant that any slaves not employed to serve or entertain the guests had to stand at attention indefinitely. Most were hidden away unobtrusively in the shadows or crammed into a small courtyard nearby, awaiting any order they received. Only those deemed pretty enough were placed in full view and bedecked in gaudy jewels and precious metals so heavy that they could barely move. They lined the wall like so many human ornaments for the palace's guests to admire and covet, or – as in the case of myself and several other personal attendants – stood by their masters' sides, awaiting their every whim and command.

I shifted uncomfortably, the smells of incense weighing almost as heavily on my being as the gems that dragged me down. I had been standing for over three hours now waiting for "his Royal Foreign Highness" to arrive, and my limbs were already beginning to shake with fatigue. I was the weakest of the royal attendants – unlike many of the others, I hadn't risen up the ranks from a more physically demanding position, so I was unused to the heavy lifting and hard labor many of the others had been forced to perform throughout their lives.I glanced about covertly, viewing my fellow servants from the corners of my eyes. It was no surprise that I was the first to be affected by this exhaustion, though the rest were sure to follow soon. I saw one of the younger girls against the wall stumble slightly before straightening herself and peering nervously towards the tables for fear of having been seen. I gave her what I hoped was an encouraging smile, though I suspected it was more of a weary grimace, which she returned in full before glancing off to my side. She blushed suddenly and turned her head to stare down at her feet. I turned my eyes towards my master besides me and saw him giving her a brilliant grin even as he snuck a hand behind me and slid it slowly down my back. Others would have seen it as merely a perverse gesture, but I having known him for nearly ten years I knew that it was his method of providing support when social settings wouldn't allow for anything more.

Of course, it was also a perverse gesture, though I assumed he didn't mean it as such at the moment. Then again, with Isshaku-kun, it could be difficult to tell at times.

It was a dilemma to me. Isshaku-kun was kind and chivalrous, and though he still believed himself above us – a lesson, I supposed, hammered in since early in his youth – he always treated the palace slaves with far more kindness and respect than anyone ever expected of him. In return, I gave him the respect and obedience that I refused to grant anyone else in this palace of _cons_(1). However, according to my own plans, all of that would soon change. Unless I did something, Isshaku-kun would be in danger. I had to tell him. But if he turned out to be untrustworthy, everything I – we – had worked for could wind up destroyed.

I was broken out of my musings when an announcer's voice rang out in the distance, carrying clearly through the outside walls of the palace. "Behold! His Royal Highness Mikaboshi-heika has arrived!"

Isshaku's POV

Whispers erupted in the hall, the tides of curiosity that everyone had been holding back breaking through their dams now that we knew the answers were near. Questions like, _What is he like? _and _Why is he here?_ and even, _Is he handsome?_ ran through the crowd like wildfire. The whispers only died down when an emissary from our palace entered leading a cluster of guards. They were perfectly identical, faces hidden beneath plain cloth masks, and they marched in tandem as though they were one. Occasionally, I could catch glimpses of black and pale blue showing from inside the shelter of their bodies. Suddenly the group stopped before our own emperor – my father – and dispersed, leaving one singular body remaining.

The hall was held in baited silence as the foreigner conversed quietly with Father, who sat on the other side of a massive screen that stretched the width of the entire hall. Lately, it had become custom in the palace for the emperor to greet all guests this way, at least until we could ascertain that the person was not an assassin sent by some unknown group. Assassins had become a problem lately. No one was sure who was sending them, though through my conversations with some of the server girls I had discovered that rumors on the street ranged from a secret organization that wanted to abolish slavery to aliens unsatisfied with how we ruled our world. I tried to hold back a snort as I remembered. I wasn't sure which was more ridiculous. The only otherworldly race had died out a scant ninety eight years ago, and it was well known that there were no survivors.

As for the slaves, who would honestly want to be rid of our labor force just to throw them out into the cold? Slaves weren't Poncles, and it was well known that other races simply weren't equipped to live in our world of giants. Admittedly, we could treat them with far more kindness – something which I stood firmly for – but abolishing slavery altogether would simply hurt both them and us in the long run.

Sure, occasionally a slave would flee his or her owners, and I would see the resulting runaway notice posted on the palace walls, but those times were far and few between, and even amongst slaves only the most naïve would attempt such a thing. Such a large scale operation as assassinating the emperor would take a far more organized effort, something the average slave wasn't capable of. Most didn't have the networks nor the intelligence required. Some of the higher ranking attendants may have come close, and I was in fact quite sure that my own Ushiwaka-chan would have been smart enough to lead had he been born a Poncle, but those with the intelligence tended to be the ones with little reason to rebel, being properly fed and sheltered as they were.

The conversation between the two emperors was becoming lengthy. To pass the time, I shot a glance towards Ushiwaka to see what sort of damage control I would have to do for him later – the last time the palace had had this type of ceremony was several years ago, but I remember clear as day when he had collapsed four hours in from the sheer weight of the decorations that adorned him. It had only been my assurances that he had stood for as long as he possibly could have that saved him from a beating from Father, though I had been required to punish him myself in return. (Fortunately, the form of "punishment" was left to me to decide. In the end, Ushiwaka had remained mostly unharmed, though he couldn't walk straight for several days afterwards.) Today he was, if anything, wearing far more jewels than before, and three and a half hours in I could see that it was already beginning to take its toll on him. His exhausted trembling had advanced from just over three hours ago to become disturbingly visible, and if I listened carefully I could just hear the jangling of chains and amulets that moved as he shook. I had removed my hand from his back earlier when the foreign emperor arrived for the sake of propriety; now, though, I quickly placed it several inches above the small of his back and pushed firmly against him in an invitation to use me as a support. He took the invitation, and I felt myself wince slightly in pity when I felt the sudden, heavy weight against my hand. Ushiwaka had always been remarkably light, even for his slender and feminine figure. I could pick him up off the ground without even breaking a sweat, so I knew the excess weight was a result of the jewelry hanging from his body. It must have weighed at least twice as much as him.

My eyes traveled up towards his face. His brows were furrowed slightly in concentration above widened eyes and from where I sat I could just barely catch him worrying at his lower lip. I couldn't help but find the expression particularly cute on him, though the nervousness that exuded from him reminded me yet again that he would need to rest soon if he wanted any chance to go without a beating. Father was not kind to repeat offenders, and even if I managed to negotiate most of his punishment away, he wouldn't escape this time without a few lashings.

I turned my head back towards Father and the foreign emperor, willing them inwardly to hurry up. Finally, a guard that stood next to the screen drew open a door sized section, and the foreign emperor stepped through to continue his discussion on the other side. When that happened, it was the rest of the court's cue to talk quietly. As people finally began to mingle and the attendants were sent to do various tasks at the behest of their owners, I quietly stood from my chair.

"Ushiwaka-chan, are you alright?" I couldn't help but ask, though I knew the answer – both what he would give, and the actual truth.

"O-oui, Isshaku-sama." He offered me a tight smile, despite the fact that he looked anything but. I began to walk, hand still against his back, supporting him and guiding him to the exit. He shot me a look of gratitude and allowed himself to be led from the room.

* * *

The walk to my quarters was agonizingly slow, and every second I expected one of the guards to leap out from the shadows and demand my presence back in the Great Hall. Throughout it all, Ushiwaka remained silent, seemingly concentrating on just putting one foot before the other. When we finally reached my door, we both heaved a sigh of relief. The moment we were inside, I led Ushiwaka to my futon where he all but collapsed, exhausted. I knelt down beside him.

"Ushiwaka…"

"I'm fine." I felt a brief flash of irritation at the rude response, but held my tongue. There was no need to punish him after he had suffered for hours on end. Surely he only wanted to sleep. I let out a sigh.

"Lie still." I ordered. He blinked sleepily at me, his only movement being the slight heaving of his chest. He obviously didn't plan on moving anytime soon. I went to work at the gold chains first, steadily searching with my hands for the clasp to each individual adornment. I could feel the smooth, baby-soft skin of his torso beneath my hands as I worked. I had always taken good care of Ushiwaka-chan's body… Sometimes I wondered if I pampered him too much, but moments like this made it all worth it. My Ushiwaka-chan was an incredibly guarded person. Master or not, I knew that with mere force and intimidation I would never see the level of vulnerability that he was willing to show me.

The last of the chains that I could reach clattered off, revealing milky white skin. I took a moment to admire him. Half-hooded blue eyes that seemed to glow with an inner light looked up at me, and long, unnaturally bright strands of golden hair were thrown in disarray about his body. His alabaster skin was nearly flawless, free of the blemishes of most slaves save for a very few small, fading scars. Slender shoulders and hips and a gently tapered waist gave him the appearance of a beautiful woman, and the pink flush and faint sheen of sweat that remained on him from working to exhaustion earlier left a certain part of my body feeling rather…uncomfortable.

Ushiwaka's POV

I felt Isshaku-kun's calloused hands slip beneath me, and arched my back in an attempt to help him remove the remaining jewelry. His fingers fumbled for a few minutes, sending tickling sensations down my spine. Eventually, he seemed to grow tired of trying to remove the clasps without looking, and he moved his hands to my upper back, lifting me upwards. "Sit up."

"Nnn…I-Isshaku-kuuun…" I was well aware that my voice was incredibly whiney, but at the moment I was simply too tired to care. If he wanted me to sit up then he would have to do all the work, because I certainly wasn't about to help him.

"Just what kind of slave are you?" he jabbed. His voice was filled with a strange sort of patient annoyance, but I could detect an undertone of playfulness.

"The kind that wants to sleep," I responded dryly as I lifted a heavy-as-lead arm in a halfhearted attempt to bat him away.

His eyebrow twitched. "Remind me why I keep you around, again?"

"Hmm… Because…you're a pervert?" I guessed mockingly.

It was partially true. Isshaku-kun had chosen me out of all the other slaves at the market simply because he had found me to be the prettiest. Throughout the years, our relationship had blossomed into a close friendship, but his perversity remained unchanged.

Keeping one arm behind my back to support me, Isshaku shoved me playfully in the chest. "You're too damn pretty," he muttered in mock offense. I laughed.

"You know I am, _mon cheri__._" He rolled his eyes and roughly flipped me over onto my stomach. "Oof!" I gasped as a rush of air escaped me, not expecting the sudden move. I turned my head to glare at him and saw him pouting childishly, arms crossed over his chest. I also saw something else of interest. I raised an eyebrow. "Still not past puberty(2), I see."

He grinned pervertedly. "I _said _you're too damn pretty. And you have a cute ass."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"You're impossible."

I grinned at that. "Just part of my charm."

"Yeah? Why don't you use that part a bit more, huh?" I winced. This was getting into dangerous territory. I really wasn't in the mood tonight. He must have seen my expression, because he quickly added "later" to his comment.

Eventually, Isshaku-kun returned to removing the remaining jewelry on me, and I returned to my thoughts from earlier today.

I didn't want him to die.

In truth, I didn't want anyone to die, but there was little I could do to prevent it if things got out of control. I wasn't naïve. I knew that many of my followers resented their masters and would take the revenge when the opportunity presented itself. Even so, I couldn't turn a blind eye to another race's plight, nor to the Poncles' arrogance. Not when such an attitude had led to my own people's destruction. All I could do now was free the slaves and try my best to protect those Poncles who were pure of heart from the rebellion. It wasn't a sure thing, however. With all the pent up anger that the enslaved races held, I could very well be overthrown in the attempt.

But Isshaku… The care and consideration that he had shown for me today had reminded me again why I couldn't stand to lose him. Not many masters would forego fulfilling their own personal needs for the sake of their slave's. Isshaku-kun was truly a special person. Furthermore, as a prince, he had access to information even I was not privy to. If I could get him on our side, he would be a great asset.

…Or at least, that was what I told myself. The truth was, I couldn't stand to lose anyone else. I had already lost everyone I had ever cared about not just once, but twice. If Isshaku-kun died, I didn't think my heart could take the strain. I would shatter completely, become a shell of a person just ghosting through life, like those two times… Only this time, I knew my fragmented spirit would never recover. It had simply become too much to bear.

"Isshaku-kun?"

"Hmm?" He looked up from where he was currently working on a wide plate made of jade and braided silver that encircled my lower thigh.

"Can you keep a secret?" _Tell him!_ I urged myself. But I suddenly found myself unable to say it. Even though I trusted him, a voice in the back of my head kept screaming that this could mean the end of everything.

"I…um, yes?" He quirked an eyebrow. I knew that he could, but I suddenly needed the reassurance.

"You promise?" He reached down to hug me, taking me into his arms.

"You know I can… Ushiwaka-chan, what is this about?" he muttered gently into my ear, brushing my hair back. "Did something happen? I noticed the guards eyeing you the other day…"

I felt heat rush to my cheeks at what he was implying. "A-ah, no, it isn't that… I-I—" I suddenly couldn't speak past the knot in my throat. I swallowed loudly, but it refused to budge.

I wasn't ready. How could I tell him? Would he even believe me? "Ushiwaka?" I leaned into his chest, listening to his heartbeat as he stroked my hair soothingly. My own heart calmed as it began to beat in time with his. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Meet me in the courtyard tomorrow. Make sure nobody sees us," I murmured, making sure that no one beyond a two foot radius could hear me. There was a pause in Isshaku-kun's stroking as he processed what I had said, probably realizing for the first time how serious I really was. After a second, I felt his head nod, and he whispered back two words.

"I will." We slipped into silence.

There was no going back now. I had decided to show him the base of operations. I would bare all the secrets that I needed to in order to protect my best friend. Whatever happened after that came down to him.

As I drifted off to sleep, one thought lingered in my head. _Please don't let me down…Isshaku-kun._

* * *

Oh god he's so OOC why is he so OOC? I mean, there's reasoning for the stuff he's doing but...

He's tough to write and this is my first time writing him, I guess. One of my teachers who looked through this said he was sort of a "wuss" (her words, not mine). I'm not entirely sure what that means in this context, apart from him being physically weak. (And yes, he can fight. Incredibly well, in fact. He just has no stamina in this story... For reasons I have yet to figure out and which may or may not be touched on later.)

Anyway, I really need feedback so...

That being said...*grabs Ushiwaka and holds a knife to his neck* Review or the blondie gets it!

Ushiwaka: ... *slips out of my grasp and holds sword up to my neck* You were saying? *innocent uke-esque smile with sparkles floating around*

Me: DON'T LOOK LIKE THAT WHEN YOU'RE ABOUT TO KILL SOMEONE, IT'S CREEPY.

Ushiwaka: I know.

Me: =_=; Well, please review anyway...

1 idiots

2 Mentally. Isshaku is physically in his early to mid-twenties. Ushiwaka is just teasing him for his pervertedness


	2. Chapter 2 PREVIEW

Hello! This is just a preview for now. There's a bit before this that I may actually take out, so I don't want to put it in just yet.

If you are reading this, I have to ask you now to review. It's very difficult for me to keep confidence when I don't know if my story is any good. Of course, I won't hold it against you if you don't - I have a bad habit of lurking myself, so I can emphasize, though I'm trying to break that habit. However, it really does help to have some encouragement, especially if it comes in the form of constructive criticism. I would love to know stuff like

1. what you like about the story, and

2. what you don't like/think I can improve on and how (Anything is accepted so long as it isn't just I H8 YAOI1!111! Those will be given to my pet Ninetales Eclaireux in the back as fuel for her fire. We're making s'mores! That said, if there's anything you think would be good to change in the relationship itself, feel free to say so.)

In case you haven't noticed, I changed the title. I probably will again, too, because I suck at thinking up titles.

I think Ushiwaka was a little OOC in the last chapter. Hopefully I've rectified that somewhat here. He can be sorta hard to write, so please tell me what you think of his characterization!

* * *

The next afternoon saw Isshaku and me standing before a dilapidated fountain in an isolated part of the garden. It was an overgrown area, long since forgotten by time and gardeners alike since a row of mushrooms had been planted in front of it, and appreciated by lovers for that very same reason. I knelt down, brushing tall sprigs of moss aside as I searched for a particular crack in the fountain's wall.

"Is it going to be much longer?" I rolled my eyes at Isshaku-kun's impatience, neglecting to answer. "Ushiwaka?"

"Ah —found it." I wormed my fingers into the narrow crack until they reached a small button at the back. There was a faint rumble as the fountain moved back away from me, revealing a narrow staircase that reached down into the shadowed depths below. Silently motioning for Isshaku to follow, I began my descent.

Isshaku's POV

As I followed him, I couldn't help but look down at the stone beneath my feet with trepidation. The aging stairwell appeared to be falling apart at the seams, with entire chunks missing in places. Glowing lichen grew from the cracks in the stairs and plastered the walls, the faint green light giving the entire scene a strange, ethereal effect.

As I descended, I couldn't help but feel that I was leaving this world and travelling into another, like the realm of the faeries spoken of in a faraway land.

Eventually, crumbling stone faded to polished metal and lichen changed to strange lines and figures that lit up blue from within. I began to look at the walls and ceiling now, transfixed by the angular patterns. "What are these?"

"Not much longer, now." I glared at Ushiwaka's back when he brushed off my question. It was silent for several seconds before he spoke again. "The patterns you see are glyphs originally drawn by a people from far away. Of course, they're all dead now."

"Why? What happened?"

"They were killed by their own greed… Here we are!" We both came to a halt as the tunnel widened into a large chamber that was surrounded on all sides by metal and those strange glyphs. A man dressed in the garb of a warrior monk stood before a massive door that at first glance appeared to be part of the wall. Ushiwaka dipped his head in greeting. "Hello, Benkei-san."

"Ushiwaka-sama," Benkei intoned, giving a deep bow. "What brings you here today?" _Sama?_ I stared at Ushiwaka blankly. That was certainly no way for a slave to be addressed.

"I have a potential... New member, shall we say?" he motioned me forward with his hand and I stepped into the light. Benkei glared at me suspiciously.

"Him?" It came out as a growl, and I fought the urge to shrink back. I didn't want to seem weak in the face of this new threat.

Ushiwaka just continued to smile pleasantly. "Oui. If you don't mind, could you ask the gatekeeper to open the door?"

Benkei pressed what appeared to be a well hidden button by the side of the door. "Yatagarasu," he announced in a gruff voice, still eyeing me suspiciously. "Open up."

Benkei stepped aside as the doors swung open quietly, revealing yet another passageway. This one was short and crowned by a large torii gate. I could see a second pair of guards on the far end. These two were both clothed in a strange white and purple outfit, and one wore a gold mask over his eyes. Gold mask kept his expression neutral, but maskless had a look of growing horror on his face as Ushiwaka and I walked forwards. "What's with all the security?" I muttered quietly to myself. When we were about eight feet in front of them, maskless apparently couldn't contain himself any longer and rushed at me with his spear, practically bawling.

"TAICHOOOOU!"

Ushiwaka stepped in front of me calmly. I wanted to shout out at him to move and was already preparing to spring into action, but maskless beat me to it by tripping and landing in a heap at our feet. I blinked in surprise. From where I was standing, the action had almost looked deliberate. I wondered if he was actually that desperate not to harm my Ushiwaka-chan.

Maskless turned bright red as he stared up at Ushiwaka. "U-um, hello, taichou," Ushiwaka chuckled (really, it seemed more like a giggle – I made a mental note to tease him about it later) and reached down a hand to help him up. Maskless stood, laughing sheepishly and staring down at the floor, embarrassed.

Ushiwaka smiled. "Abeno-kun," he nodded to maskless, "Kamono-kun," this time he inclined his head towards gold mask, who was still standing quietly in the corner with a tense grip on his spear. Kamono bowed deeply before straightening. "Could you two run ahead and tell our friends that I will be bringing a guest along? So far I'm afraid that he has been met with a certain amount of," his eyes flitted to Abeno, "hostility."

"B-but taichou!" Abeno burst out, clearly unable to contain himself any longer. "He's your… Your master!" he pointed his spear at me in accusation. "Did he hurt you? He forced you to bring him here, didn't he? I won't allow it! I won't let anybody hurt taichou!"

Gold mask – Kamono, I believe his name was – made a sound of agreement. "Taichou, I have to say I agree. If he's done anything to hurt you…"

Ushiwaka just raised an eyebrow. "Do you two really think so little of me? I would never let anyone force his way into the base, torture or no."

Kamono lowered his head in shame. "No, taichou… I'm sorry."

"But he's a master… And taichou…" at this Abeno's face went slightly red and a thin stream of blood dripped from his nostril. "Taichou is so pretty…!"

"Abeno-san!" Kamono sounded mortified. Ushiwaka, on the other hand, was laughing his ass off, much to my surprise.

"Ushiwaka-chan…" This really wasn't appropriate behavior for a slave of the royal family.

"Abeno-kun, I'm fine," he forced out between peals of laughter. "Kamono-kun, could you go ahead and inform everyone of our guest's arrival?" Kamono nodded and ran deeper into the passage until it opened up into a wide room, where he turned the corner and disappeared.


	3. Chapter 2

IMPORTANT! The first part is a dream sequence. Just so no one gets confused :)

* * *

_I found myself walking alone on a deserted road, only half aware of my surroundings. I knew my destination, and I felt an odd determination to reach it, yet with each passing second I felt more and more lost. A black haze surrounded me, and I tried uselessly to peer through it. Soon, it grew so thick that I could barely see half a foot in front of my face. Out of nowhere, there was a loud roar. I was stricken with fear and began to run. The roar grew louder and louder, and no matter which way I turned, I couldn't escape. So I ran blindly, sheer terror mitigating my actions. Eventually, when my legs were burning so badly that I didn't think I could possibly take another step, I tripped. An eerie silence descended upon the area as I lay there shaking._

_I stayed put for what seemed like hours, completely drained of energy. I felt a strange calm settle over me and wondered distantly if I was going to die. Oddly enough, the thought didn't bother me. I was tired to my very core, and for the first time I realized that there was an aching pain in my chest._

_Out of nowhere, a hand was outstretched towards me. Suddenly overcome with a fresh wave of determination, I allowed the stranger to help me up. The hand withdrew for a moment, only to return with a lit lantern. I took the lantern and raised it, so that I could see the stranger's face._

_Blank crimson eyes gazed back at me, piercing through my innermost mind and throwing their gaze into the abyss beyond. I felt my soul twist beyond recognition, too much, too sharply… I stumbled, my feet suddenly like lead weights. I tried to scream in agony, but the sound wouldn't come. I backed away only to trip again on the same object as before, and stared at it in silent horror._

_It was a severed arm, fresh blood still dripping from the stump where it had attached to the shoulder. Even as I stared, the hand convulsed in something resembling agony. Soon, the entire arm was writhing on the ground, painting the dirt with its blood._

_Blood._

_The scene began to melt into another, one I knew all too well._

No, please… Anything but this. _But my pleas fell on deaf ears as I was sucked into the scene._

_Blood._

_Screaming._

_Why is there so much blood?_

_ Flash_

_ No! Not them! What have I…done…_

_ Flash_

_ Wings everywhere. Torn from the severed heads of the Celestials…bloody feathers raining down…_

_ Flash_

_ The survivors are huddled in a corner. I'll protect them…I promised her I would protect them!_

_ Flash_

_ A child's head separated from her body… The feasting demons fall on her before her scream __finishes echoing through the dark chamber._

_Flash_

_ I-I can't…go on…fatigue courses through my veins like poison…_

_ Flash_

_ Screams…more screams, so much screaming… I fall to the ground. I can no longer muster the strength to stand._

_ Everything is lost._

_ Life blood falls on my face and around me. I can feel it splatter against my face. It's still so warm…_

_I'm going to drown._

_Flash_

_Darkness. Horrible silence. If I strain my eyes, I can see limbs and faces twisted in agony, though they won't remain for much longer. The demons are still feasting._

_Everyone is dead…_

_Is this…my fault?_

_ Flash_

_ Is anyone alive? Where? Where are you?_

_ Why… Why was I spared?_

_ 'You were spared for me.'_

_ "Wh-who…?" It is all I can force out through dry, cracked lips. My voice is hoarse, barely a whisper. I must have been screaming._

_ Flash_

_ Even when I close my eyes, the sounds of bones crunching and demons quarreling over remains are stark against the silence of the vessel. So I force them to remain open, to burn into my memory what has happened here today. What I have done._

_ Did they not see me? Perhaps if I cry out, they will grant me the mercy of death._

_ I can't cry out. My strength is gone… Everything hurts._

_ Flash_

_ The voice again. Am I going insane? Not that it matters much, I suppose. Not now…_

'_Mine…you belong to no one else now…'_

_Who are you? I can't voice the thought out loud. My voice has left me completely now._

'_No one else will go near you now… My little pet.'_

_Did you kill them? Why? For being too close to me?_

_ Murderer… 'Sinner…'_

_ What have you done? 'You caused this.'_

_ 'Look around you. They're all dead.'_

_ Because of me._

_Dead. Dead because of me. It's my fault. I can hear their ghostly voices now, cursing me. "Ushiwakaaa…" I will offer myself up to them, if that is what it takes._

"_Ushiwaaakaaaa…" I won't let their souls drift aimlessly through this world. I will force myself to suffer as they did. It's only what I deserve. I grab my sword and prepare to make the first cut, tip hovering over the center of my hand._

"_Ushiwaka, waaake uuuup…" Now I'm confused. Wake up? I'm asleep?_

"_Waaaaake uuuuuup…" What do they mean? Do they want me to reach some sort of spiritual connection with them?_

"_USHIWAKA!"_

* * *

The next afternoon saw Isshaku and me standing before a dilapidated fountain in an isolated part of the garden. It was an overgrown area, long since forgotten by time and gardeners alike since a row of mushrooms had been planted in front of it, and appreciated by lovers for that very same reason. I knelt down, brushing tall sprigs of moss aside as I searched for a particular crack in the fountain's wall.

"Is it going to be much longer?" I rolled my eyes at Isshaku-kun's impatience, neglecting to answer. "Ushiwaka?"

"Ah —found it." I wormed my fingers into the narrow crack until they reached a small button at the back. There was a faint rumble as the fountain moved back away from me, revealing a narrow staircase that reached down into the shadowed depths below. Silently motioning for Isshaku to follow, I began my descent.

Isshaku's POV

As I followed him, I couldn't help but look down at the stone beneath my feet with trepidation. The aging stairwell appeared to be falling apart at the seams, with entire chunks missing in places. Glowing lichen grew from the cracks in the stairs and plastered the walls, the faint green light giving the entire scene a strange, ethereal effect.

As I descended, I couldn't help but feel that I was leaving this world and travelling into another, like the realm of the faeries spoken of in a faraway land.

Eventually, crumbling stone faded to polished metal and lichen changed to strange lines and figures that lit up blue from within. I began to look at the walls and ceiling now, transfixed by the angular patterns. "What are these?"

"Not much longer, now." I glared at Ushiwaka's back when he brushed off my question. It was silent for several seconds before he spoke again. "The patterns you see are glyphs originally drawn by a people from far away. Of course, they're all dead now."

"Why? What happened?"

"They were killed by their own greed… Here we are!" We both came to a halt as the tunnel widened into a large chamber that was surrounded on all sides by metal and those strange glyphs. A man dressed in the garb of a warrior monk stood before a massive door that at first glance appeared to be part of the wall. Ushiwaka dipped his head in greeting. "Hello, Benkei-san."

"Ushiwaka-sama," Benkei intoned, giving a deep bow. "What brings you here today?" _Sama?_ I stared at Ushiwaka blankly. That was certainly no way for a slave to be addressed.

"I have a potential... New member, shall we say?" he motioned me forward with his hand and I stepped into the light. Benkei glared at me suspiciously.

"Him?" It came out as a growl, and I fought the urge to shrink back. I didn't want to seem weak in the face of this new threat.

Ushiwaka just continued to smile pleasantly. "Oui. If you don't mind, could you ask the gatekeeper to open the door?"

Benkei pressed what appeared to be a well hidden button by the side of the door. "Yatagarasu," he announced in a gruff voice, still eyeing me suspiciously. "Open up."

Benkei stepped aside as the doors swung open quietly, revealing yet another passageway. This one was short and crowned by a large torii gate. I could see a second pair of guards on the far end. These two were both clothed in a strange white and purple outfit, and one wore a gold mask over his eyes. Gold mask kept his expression neutral, but maskless had a look of growing horror on his face as Ushiwaka and I walked forwards. "What's with all the security?" I muttered quietly to myself. When we were about eight feet in front of them, maskless apparently couldn't contain himself any longer and rushed at me with his spear, practically bawling.

"TAICHOOOOU!"

Ushiwaka stepped in front of me calmly. I wanted to shout out at him to move and was already preparing to spring into action, but maskless beat me to it by tripping and landing in a heap at our feet. I blinked in surprise. From where I was standing, the action had almost looked deliberate. I wondered if he was actually that desperate not to harm my Ushiwaka-chan.

Maskless turned bright red as he stared up at Ushiwaka. "U-um, hello, taichou," Ushiwaka chuckled (really, it seemed more like a giggle – I made a mental note to tease him about it later) and reached down a hand to help him up. Maskless stood, laughing sheepishly and staring down at the floor, embarrassed.

Ushiwaka smiled. "Abeno-kun," he nodded to maskless, "Kamono-kun," this time he inclined his head towards gold mask, who was still standing quietly in the corner with a tense grip on his spear. Kamono bowed deeply before straightening. "Could you two run ahead and tell our friends that I will be bringing a guest along? So far I'm afraid that he has been met with a certain amount of," his eyes flitted to Abeno, "hostility."

"B-but taichou!" Abeno burst out, clearly unable to contain himself any longer. "He's your… Your master!" he pointed his spear at me in accusation. "Did he hurt you? He forced you to bring him here, didn't he? I won't allow it! I won't let anybody hurt taichou!"

Gold mask – Kamono, I believe his name was – made a sound of agreement. "Taichou, I have to say I agree. If he's done anything to hurt you…"

Ushiwaka just raised an eyebrow. "Do you two really think so little of me? I would never let anyone force his way into the base, torture or no."

Kamono lowered his head in shame. "No, taichou… I'm sorry."

"But he's a master… And taichou…" at this Abeno's face went slightly red and a thin stream of blood dripped from his nostril. "Taichou is so pretty…!"

"Abeno-san!" Kamono sounded mortified. Ushiwaka, on the other hand, was laughing his ass off, much to my surprise.

"Ushiwaka-chan…" This really wasn't appropriate behavior for a slave of the royal family.

"Abeno-kun, I'm fine," he forced out between peals of laughter. "Kamono-kun, could you go ahead and inform everyone of our guest's arrival?" Kamono nodded and ran deeper into the passage until it opened up into a wide room, where he turned the corner and disappeared.

* * *

This may have a small part added after the dream sequence, but I thought that it's been so long that I should really go ahead and upload the chapter. If I do add it, then I'll mention in the next chapter (or whenever I upload it) whether I think it's particularly important to the plot at the moment, so if it isn't then you can just skip over it.

So Ushiwaka's got a similar past to the original game...hmm... I wonder what happened to change things so much (no seriously, I have no idea).

Sorry I took so long. I always tend to get lazy around the start of summer vacation.

Again, if you're reading this, then please please _please _review! Thanks to the people who already have. It's very hard to get reviews for rare yaoi parings, it seems. Or I just suck. One of the two. I don't think I do, though. Well, I hope I don't... *blinks*

...on a completely unrelated note, N!

...uh, I mean, I'm SOO looking forward to Black and White 2 coming out in America! *squeals like a fangirl...which she is*

The anticipation is building...

Hey, do you think I should break my chapters up a bit and make them shorter? I mean, this chapter and the last could easily be broken into two chapters apiece.


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